Race Weekend Central

10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Ford 400 at Homestead

1. It’s Still The Thought That Counts – NASCAR drivers Geoffrey Bodine and Scott Wimmer will join the National Hot Rod Association’s Hillary Will and Arie Luyendyk Jr. of the Indy Racing League in a tour of U.S. military bases in Iraq and Kuwait. Billed as “The Racing Heroes 2008 Goodwill Tour,” the four racecar …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2008 Ford 300 at Homestead

In a Nutshell: Carl Edwards did everything he could to try and steal his second consecutive Nationwide Series crown at Homestead. Qualifying on the outside pole, Edwards ran in the top five all race long and led a third of the race (66 laps). Edwards also managed to pass Kyle Busch’s vaunted No. 18 Toyota …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix

1. Monkey See… Monkey Do – The nip and tuck championship battle between Ron Hornaday and Johnny Benson Jr. continues after the two squared off at Phoenix Friday night in the Lucas Oil 150. The fact the two Craftsman Truck Series drivers continued their points fight was made more remarkable after Hornaday incurred significant damage …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2008 Hefty Odor Block 200 at Phoenix

In a Nutshell: Carl Edwards talked all week about how his No. 60 team had to be perfect the next two weekends if they had any shot of scoring a second consecutive Nationwide title. And while there were minor hiccups, the No. 60 group did everything they could, leading the most laps and dominating the …

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Nuts for Nationwide: Phoenix Racing Living Up to Its Name, On the Rise Once Again

Phoenix Racing and Johnny Sauter proved a winning combination in 2005. Driving the entire season for James Finch’s No. 1 team, Sauter posted 11 top-10 finishes, including a dominating win from the pole at Milwaukee, en route to finishing 12th in the Busch Series standings. Considering this, few were surprised to see Sauter return to …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Mike Bliss on Nationwide’s Future & His Own

In the midst of another year of Cup domination in the Nationwide Series, former Cup driver Mike Bliss has put together some impressive credentials. Despite running for two different teams, the 43-year-old veteran is the second-highest Nationwide-only regular in the standings, with 14 top-10 finishes in 33 starts to land himself fifth in points, 567 …

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Fanning the Flames: An Act of Charity, a NASCAR Chase Take & a Crazy Rumor

Good questions this week and I’m feeling a bit long winded, so let’s get to it. Q: Hey Matt! For the Texas race results, I noticed that Joey Logano was not awarded points. Instead, in that column it reads “PE” even though he finished 40th. What the heck does that mean? – Confused in Iowa A: Funny, …

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Mirror Driving: The Intentional Wreck, Cautioning Against Cautions & Kyle Busch Sets a Record

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said! This Week’s Participants: Bryan Davis Keith (Thursdays/Picks ‘N’ Pans & Sundays/Nationwide Series Breakdown) Doug Turnbull (Tuesdays/Talking …

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10 Points to Ponder… After the 2008 Dickies 500 at Texas

1. Bailout Needed – According to CBS Sports, sources have said that anywhere from 750-1,000 jobs in NASCAR shops may be lost in the Sprint, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series as a result of the nation’s slumping economy. The report specifically mentions Dale Earnhardt Inc. as a prime example of teams poised to see drastic …

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: 2008 O’Reilly Challenge at Texas

In a Nutshell: The results at Texas Motor Speedway were exactly what anyone who’s followed the Nationwide Series in 2008 would expect. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Toyotas were untouchable. Cup regulars dominated the finishing order, taking six of the top-eight finishing positions. And Kyle Busch led early and often, leading 174 of 200 laps to score …

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